Rematch
by ElectronicYarn
Summary: Pyrrha respects Yang, but today she's at a loss to explain Yang's unusual behavior. She doesn't understand those longing looks Yang's giving her or why Yang challenged her to a sparring match later tonight where the two of them can be alone. And what she really doesn't understand is that her rendezvous with Yang isn't going to be what she's expecting at all.


_Author's Note:_ _I'm back in the writing saddle again! I humbly offer this Greek Fire story. That's a thing people like, right? Greek Fire? I guess I'll find out._

 _As per usual in my corner of the RWBY-verse, the drink age in Vale is 18. Also, Pyrrha and Yang are 18 in this story. Convenient, isn't it?_

 _This story was written after Volume 5 was completed._

* * *

Yang's fist flew through the air at top speed. Pyrrha raised her shield to block just in time. Yang's gauntlet fired as her punch connected, throwing its power behind Yang's already impressive strength. The force of the blow was great enough that it threatened to break through Pyrrha's guard. Fortunately, Pyrrha had been ready for it. She reached inside of herself and touched her semblance. She used it to tweak the angle of her shield just enough to deflect Yang's attack harmlessly aside.

Yang faltered, having overcommitted to her punch. It was just for an instant, but that was all the opening that Pyrrha needed. Her instincts took over, and she swung her sword in a counterattack before even consciously thinking about it. Her sword struck true and it struck hard, knocking Yang off balance. Pyrrha immediately lunged forward. She slammed her shield into Yang, activating her semblance again to make the blow just that much harder.

Yang went flying off her feet. She arced through the air for a brief moment before landing in a heap on the floor.

A buzzer sounded overhead, and Professor Glynda Goodwitch called out, "That's the match! Miss Nikos is victorious."

Pyrrha lowered her shield. The lights came up in Beacon Academy's combat arena, revealing the faces of Pyrrha's fellow first-year students up in the stands. Sparring class this week had been dedicated to one-on-one duels, and many of Pyrrha's classmates had already had their turn down in the arena. Now that Pyrrha and Yang's match was over, Pyrrha could hear her classmates murmuring to each other. No doubt they were offering each other their opinions on the fight they'd just watched.

Professor Goodwitch's heels clicked on the floor as she approached the center of the arena. "Excellent job as always, Miss Nikos," she said. "And Miss Xiao Long. I trust this time you've learned your lesson about attacking so carelessly?"

"Ugh…" Yang groaned. She pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Sure thing," she said.

Professor Goodwitch looked like she doubted Yang's sincerity, and if Pyrrha was honest with herself, so did she. She had always been extremely impressed by Yang's prowess in combat. It was a shame that Yang's reckless nature often kept her from living up to her full potential.

Professor Goodwitch was obviously about to launch into a lecture—no doubt about the need for tactical restraint in battle—when a tone sounded overhead, signaling the end of class. "Think about it, Miss Xiao Long," she said. "Class is dismissed for today."

The students up in the stands began to shuffle out of the arena. Pyrrha returned her shield and sword to their resting place on her back. She walked over to Yang, who was still sitting on the floor, and offered her a hand. "I'm sorry," she said.

Yang looked up at Pyrrha. "Don't be," she said, giving Pyrrha a big smile. "I hate it when people go easy on me." She took Pyrrha's hand and pulled herself up.

Pyrrha was surprised. While she would never call Yang arrogant, Yang unquestionably had a surplus of pride. It was Pyrrha's experience that people like Yang didn't take well to losing. She was glad to see Yang acting so magnanimously.

Admittedly, Pyrrha didn't know Yang as well as she would have liked. Yang was one of the few people who wasn't awed by Pyrrha's accomplishments as an up-and-coming huntress. In that regard, she was a lot like Jaune. Unlike Jaune, however, Yang was also full of confidence and eager to mete out joy to those around her. It was a shame, Pyrrha thought, that she hadn't had the opportunity to become better friends with Yang.

Pyrrha had expected Yang to hurry off to her next class or to catch up with her teammates, but Yang was just standing there, apparently not in a rush to leave. Her eyes began to drift as her gaze lingered on Pyrrha. A wistful smile crossed her face.

Pyrrha shifted on her feet. She'd caught Yang staring at her like this many times since the semester had begun, although this was the first time that Yang had been so obvious about it. Pyrrha certainly wasn't a stranger to people's eyes on her. Wherever she went, those around her were prone to looking at her with amazement, or just as often, jealousy. Pyrrha had grown accustomed to it over the years, mostly out of necessity. She usually found the experience wearying. However, with Yang it was different somehow. Pyrrha honestly didn't mind Yang looking at her like she was. She might even dare say it was pleasant to be the object of Yang's admiration.

Despite her better intentions, Pyrrha found herself gazing back at Yang. Yang wasn't the only one who'd been stealing glances here and there. Pyrrha had been secretly admiring Yang for some time now, although sparingly and usually from a distance. She wasn't ashamed to admit that Yang was a feast for the eyes, but that didn't mean that she wanted to give Yang the wrong impression.

A few minutes slipped by before Pyrrha realized that her furtive glancing had turned into open staring. Fortunately, Yang was too entranced to have noticed. Pyrrha was relieved. The last thing she wanted was for Yang to be uncomfortable around her, and there was something contenting about this quiet moment they were sharing. Pyrrha would have liked for it to continue, but unfortunately, the silence between her and Yang was threating to grow awkward.

In an effort to make conversation, Pyrrha said, "Professor Goodwitch did have a good point, Yang."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Yang asked, not really focusing her full attention on what Pyrrha was saying.

"You would have been able to defeat me today if you'd exercised more discipline in your attacks," Pyrrha said.

Yang suddenly came out of whatever trance she'd been in. Her eyes met Pyrrha's, and her smile turned into a mischievous grin. "Oh?" she said. "So you want to discipline me, eh?"

"I'm…sorry?" Pyrrha said. She had no idea what Yang had meant by that. If she didn't know better, she'd say that Yang's tone had sounded downright suggestive.

Yang laughed. "You're really cute when you're flustered."

"I wouldn't say I was flustered," Pyrrha responded.

"Well then you're just cute," Yang said.

Pyrrha chuckled. "I don't think anyone's ever used that word to describe me before."

"What? Cute?" Yang asked. Her grin broadened. "You know, I bet I could come up with a whole bunch more words that no one's ever said to you before. If you know what I'm talking about."

"Really? I might like to hear those words," Pyrrha said. She knew that people must speak about her behind her back. She was genuinely curious as to what they might say.

Yang brought her finger up to her mouth and chewed on its tip. Her eyes made a quick trip up and down Pyrrha's body. Pyrrha wasn't sure how to interpret the odd behavior, but it made her feel inexplicably warm.

"Tell you what. How about we have a little…rematch," Yang said with a wink.

"A rematch?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah," Yang said. "Tonight. Just you and me."

Pyrrha's first instinct was to say no. She'd endure more than her fair share of would-be rivals since her rise to fame. Every last one of them had wanted their opportunity to say that they'd defeated Pyrrha Nikos in a duel. Pyrrha hated it. Contrary to what her peers believed, she didn't enjoy fighting. It was simply something she did out of a sense of duty. In a world with monsters like the grimm on the loose, it was the responsibility of people like her to defend the innocent.

"Well?" Yang prompted. "What do you say?"

Pyrrha was about to politely decline Yang's offer like she'd done so many times before, but something made her stop and reconsider. She did have to admit that Yang had a certain enthusiasm for combat that could be infectious—sparring with her was almost fun at times—but that wasn't what had given her pause.

Maybe it was the look of anticipation on Yang's face. Maybe it was because Pyrrha didn't sense any of the wounded pride in Yang that she'd encountered in so many others. But whatever the reason, Pyrrha found herself saying, "Alright. If that's what you want."

"Great!" Yang said. "Meet me up on our dorm's roof at six o'clock!"

"The—?" Pyrrha started to say.

"See you then!" Yang interrupted. Then she bounded out of the arena.

Pyrrha suddenly wasn't so sure about what she'd gotten herself into. She hoped she hadn't just made a huge mistake.

* * *

When six o'clock came around, Pyrrha was ready. Despite her misgivings, she didn't want to be impolite and not keep her appointment with Yang. She was dressed in her combat attire, and her shield and sword were hanging from her back as she made her way up the stairs to the roof of her dormitory. She wasn't sure why Yang wanted to spar at such an unconventional location, although Pyrrha supposed it wasn't entirely without precedent. She and Jaune had been doing much the same thing since not long after the semester had begun.

Pyrrha had to laugh at herself a little. Between Jaune and now Yang it seemed that her dorm's roof had become the center of what passed for her social life.

Pyrrha finally reached the top of the stairs. She pushed open a door and stepped out onto the rooftop. However, never in a thousand years would she have been prepared for what she saw there.

Yang was waiting for Pyrrha of course, but she didn't look ready for a fight at all. She was lounging on top of a blanket that had been laid out on the roof. Even more perplexing, a picnic basket of all things was sitting next to Yang, offering no explanation for its existence.

Pyrrha struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. Admittedly, it was a lovely autumn's day outside. The sun was still high in the sky, and the wind was calm enough for the roof to be quite pleasant. Pyrrha even supposed that on a day like today the roof would be a good spot for a secluded rendezvous. But none of those facts answered the all-important question of what exactly Yang was up to.

"Hello, Pyrrha," Yang said with a voice that was as smooth as silk. "What brings a girl like you to a place like this?"

"You do," Pyrrha answered, not sure what Yang was expecting her to say.

A grin spread across Yang's face for some reason. She deftly rose to her feet and started walking toward Pyrrha with a noticeable sway in her hips. There was a hunger in her eyes that made Pyrrha shutter. Yang didn't look like she was preparing to attack, but Pyrrha felt like she should be on her guard all the same.

"Well here we are," Yang said as she slowly approached. "Just the two of us. Alone at last."

"That was what you wanted, wasn't it?" Pyrrha asked.

"Mmm," Yang said, practically purring. "I sure did."

Pyrrha was starting to suspect that Yang wasn't interested in sparring at all. Although she wasn't sure why else Yang would have invited her up here.

Yang came to a stop mere inches from where Pyrrha was standing. She was close enough that Pyrrha could feel an inviting warmth radiating off of Yang's body. A part of Pyrrha, a part she didn't fully understand, wanted to close the distance between them completely and feel for herself just how warm Yang really was. It was an irrational thought, and it was making it difficult for Pyrrha to concentrate.

"Hungry?" Yang asked, gesturing to the picnic basket. "I brought us some dinner. I've even got a bottle of wine if you're interested."

"Wine?!" Pyrrha said, refocusing herself. "Yang. What is going on here?"

"A romantic picnic," Yang said matter-of-factly. "Duh."

"Romantic…?" Pyrrha said. Her mind finally started to put the clues together. "Yang. Is this supposed to be…a date?"

Yang looked confused. "Well yeah! What else would it be?" she asked.

"I thought you invited me up here for a sparring match!" Pyrrha said.

"Wait. You did?!" Yang asked. "But what about all the flirting?"

"Flirting!" Pyrrha said, completely floored. "You were flirting with me!?"

"You mean you weren't flirting with me?!" Yang asked, taking a step back.

"I—!" Pyrrha said, baffled as to why Yang would think they'd been flirting. However, when she went back over her conversation with Yang in the arena earlier today, and even the one they'd had just now, she began to see how Yang could've gotten that impression. "I'm sorry," she said.

"So, uh…" Yang said, tapping her toes on the roof in an embarrassed fashion. It took her a moment to find the words she was looking for. "Since we're both here already, do you want to go on a date?"

Yang's question was simple enough, but Pyrrha found herself unable to answer. She didn't usually date other women, although that was because she didn't usually date at all. After all the time she'd spent admiring Yang from a distance, it would be a flagrant lie for her to say that she didn't find Yang attractive. And Yang clearly felt the same way about her, which was almost unbelievable to Pyrrha. She was flattered that someone as beautiful as Yang would even notice someone like her.

The simple fact of the matter was that Pyrrha couldn't think of a good reason why she should say no to Yang. She couldn't think of a reason that was, except for one. "I'm sorry," she practically whispered. "I shouldn't."

Yang's expression softened, and sympathy filled her eyes. "Is it because of Jaune?" she asked.

"I suppose it is," Pyrrha said.

"Well if it's blonde hair that does it for you, I've got you covered," Yang said. She ran her hand through her golden mane for good measure.

Despite herself, Pyrrha chuckled softly, but Yang's joke did little to lift her mood. "That's not really the problem," she said.

"Look," Yang said, suddenly sounding much more serious. "I've given Jaune all the chances in the world to realize what a clueless dope he's being. If he's not going to take a hint and ask you out, then I am. I've waited long enough."

"Waited?" Pyrrha asked, confused all over again. "Yang. How long have you wanted to go out with me?"

"Since pretty much the start of the semester," Yang admitted.

Pyrrha's lips pressed together. Normally, she wasn't one to pry into people's motives, but Yang hadn't even known her when the semester had begun. If what Yang said was true, then Pyrrha had a very important question for her. "Why?" she asked.

"Why not?" Yang answered. "Who wouldn't want to go out on a date with you?"

A pang of disappointment shot through Pyrrha. Just as she'd suspected, Yang wasn't really interested in her. Yang was only enamored with the persona of Pyrrha Nikos, the very same persona that overshadowed everything else in Pyrrha's life. Pyrrha hadn't been seeking Yang's affection, but she was let down all the same. She'd really thought that Yang of all people would have been different.

However, Yang wasn't done yet. She said to Pyrrha, "When you fight you're just so focused and determined. But you're also…I don't know. There's this sadness in your eyes. You're like one of those old poems that are all about triumph and tragedy. It's really…beautiful."

It took Pyrrha a moment to process what Yang had said, but when she did, she was stunned. Could it really be possible that Yang had seen through the façade of her public image and glimpsed the real her? Pyrrha had to know more. She had to know how Yang had noticed what everyone else always overlooked. Unfortunately, she was so caught off guard that all she managed to ask was, "You read classical poetry?"

"Nope," Yang said. "But that doesn't mean I don't know anything about it."

"But that's why you want to go out with me?" Pyrrha asked. "Because I'm…like a poem?"

"That, and you're really hot," Yang said with a grin.

Pyrrha laughed for real this time. Many people over the years had commented on her supposed beauty, although none quite as directly as Yang just had. Pyrrha had never believed any of them, and Yang had probably been making a joke just now, but there had been just enough sincerity in Yang's voice to almost make Pyrrha want to accept the compliment at face value.

"So what do you say?" Yang asked. "This doesn't have to be a serious thing. Unless you want it to be. But wouldn't it'd be fun to see where it goes?"

Pyrrha genuinely thought about Yang's proposal. She quickly realized that Yang was offering her something that she'd never dared believe she'd actually find. It was the exact same thing that she'd so desperately sought from Jaune. Yang wanted to date her simply because she wanted to date her. Pyrrha wasn't a prize beyond the grasp of mortals to Yang; she was a person.

Pyrrha didn't truly believe that she could be so lucky as to blunder into exactly what she'd been seeking for so long. And maybe she hadn't been. Maybe desperation was making her see something that wasn't really there. But looking at Yang now, seeing the hope in her eyes and the unpretentious smile on her lips, make Pyrrha want to take that chance.

"I think a date with you sounds wonderful, Yang," Pyrrha said.

Yang's smile grew wider. She reached out, offering Pyrrha a hand.

Pyrrha took Yang's hand, and Yang immediately pulled her in close. A thrill shot through Pyrrha as Yang put an arm around her.

"Then hold on tight," Yang said with a gleam in her eyes. "Because this is going to be one wild ride!"

* * *

 _Author's Note: This story was mostly born out of the need for me to write something short and simple to help me get back into the swing of things, and I'm sure glad I decided to do this project rather than dive right into a bigger one. It was really rough going at first, but eventually I remembered how to string words together into sentences again. All in all, I'm modestly pleased with the results._

 _Pyrrha's voice was surprisingly difficult to find. For such an unassuming girl, she has a lot more complexity to her than I was initially prepared to deal with. Hopefully my portrayal of her did her justice._

 _As always, I welcome constructive criticism. Please feel free to leave a review. And if you like what you've read, taking the time to favorite and/or follow really helps me out. You can also find me on tumblr (electronicyarn) if you want to send me a message or be notified of updates._


End file.
